Democrat files for U.S. Senate seat

A Democrat announced his candidacy Dec. 2 for the U.S. Senate, setting up a potential primary with sitting Sen. Chris Coons.

Christopher Beardsley is described in a press release as a Delaware native born in Wilmington, who served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Rwanda, and was a Fulbright Scholar in South Africa, an AmeriCorps member during the COVID-19 pandemic and a former federal employee for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Beardsley said his people-first platform includes housing as a human right, Medicare for all and advocating for climate justice.

“I am running for Senate because I believe Delaware deserves a leader who feels accountable for the consequences of their decisions,” said Beardsley. “The consequences of political inaction are particularly visible in Delaware, where the number of people experiencing homelessness has increased by 16% since 2024. Half of all renters in Delaware are cost burdened. But this shouldn’t be our reality. Housing is a human right, and all policies related to a person’s well-being should be rooted in Housing First principles. That is why I am running on behalf of the dignity of all Delawareans, to create a life we deserve.”

Beardsley said neither party has passed meaningful legislation to address the economic needs of Americans, while failing to lower the cost of rent or hold landlords accountable.

Beardsley listed the following core priorities for the U.S. Senate:

• Economic dignity: Fighting for a living wage, implementing Medicare for all and ensuring economic opportunity for all Delaware residents, given that 9.6% live below the poverty line and about 68,000 Americans die as a consequence of lacking healthcare coverage
• Housing for all: Passing meaningful legislation to substantially lower the cost of rent, holding landlords accountable for living conditions and eliminating barriers for housing assistance
• Accountable governance: Advocating for climate action consistent with climate justice, and ending U.S. complicity in global conflicts by supporting the Block the Bombs Act.

For more information about Beardsley and his campaign, go to beardsleyfordelaware.com.